Liberation Video TV News

The War On Democracy by John Pilger

2009-09-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I wanted to observe the OTHER 9/11 .... in 1973, when the U.S. backed coup overthrew the government of Chile. I did not find a good film on that topic alone. But this film reviews all the democracies that were toppled by the U.S. government. Chile begins at minute 47. You can follow this with the Shock Doctrine, and the story of how the "Chicago Boys" showed up with "the Brick" to install free market reforms with Chile's new fascist government. It make me think that if Obama was to really fight for serious reform, the same kind of coup could happen here. 90 min. Download here.

Mohamad Atta and the Venice Flying Circus

2009-09-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

With the anniversary of 9/11, it is a good time to post this abridged version of Daniel Hopsicker's investigation of the sleepy town of Venice, Florida. He uncovers the strange connections between the terrorists, the owners of the flight schools, corporate fraudsters, intelligence operatives, and drug traffickers. To learn more and buy the full video go to http://www.madcowprod.com. 30 min. Download here.

The Wobblies

2009-09-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

It's Labor Day weekend, yet few Americans are aware of the long history of struggle fought by the Labor Movement to earn us such things as the 8 hour day, the 40 hour week, and the middle class lifestyle we take for granted. We are now at risk of losing all of it, as the ruling elite prepare to take it all back. The most radical and dedicated labor union was the Industrial Workers of the World, Know as the Wobblies. They believed in one big union that would unite against the exploitation of capital. The surviving and still-fiery Wobblies -now in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, tell the story of workers who took the ideals of equality and free speech seriously enough to die for. 90 min. Download here.

This Is My Home- The Ethnic Cleansing of New Orleans

2009-09-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

The anniversary of Katrina has come, and the poor of the city are still in the storm. Undamaged public housing has been intentionally destroyed, to drive out the poor and make a killing in real estate deals. This is a clear example of the "Shock Doctrine" described by Naomi Klein: the rich will use the shock of a natural disaster to dispossess the vulnerable poor. Examples can be seen around the world, but the media shows little interest after the storms have passed. 22 min. download here.

GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB

2009-08-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

The investigation of CIA torture is a farce. By ignoring the chain of command, we repeat the "bad apples" defense of the Bush regime. We know that torture does not provide accurate intelligence. But torture is VERY effective at generating false confessions to justify political and military actions. It is also effective at terrorizing political opposition. These are the only reasons for torture. It is one of the worst crimes against humanity and our government is clearly guilty. If we fail to prosecute and punish those responsible, these policies will become standardized. At some point you may find yourself in an American Abu Gharib.
This film presents all the evidence needed to prosecute the entire Bush administration. If Obama blocks prosecution, the crimes will continue. 78 min. Download here.

RFK Must Die - The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy

2009-08-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

I think the funeral of Teddy Kennedy is a good time to look back at Bobby's assassination, which ended mainstream progressive politics in America. The message was clear to the political class: "Do not mess with the war machine or the social order, or you will be terminated".
This film is a good review of the holes in the official story. I think too much is made of the apparent presence of CIA officials at the scene of the crime, and not enough research into the background of the security guards and Sirhan's medical history. 100 min. source page here.

The Ground Truth: The Human Cost of War

2009-08-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

Patriotic men and women who are called for military service in Iraq, experience recruitment, training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities.
The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty in the film, is a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home – with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all - the truth. 78 min. Download here.

When Abortion Was Illegal: Untold Stories

2009-08-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

Dorothy Fadiman made this important and compelling film. This is the only film record I know of that compiled first person accounts of women who had to deal with unwanted pregnancy in the era when abortion was a criminal act. It also includes doctors and others who risked prison to provide safe abortions. These experiences are difficult to imagine (and difficult to listen to) for many people today, but the tragic physical, legal, and emotional consequences must not be forgotten. Criminalizing abortion does not stop it, but only turns it into a hidden, desperate and often fatal nightmare. 28 min. Source page here.

Balancing the Scales: Examining the Need for a Moratorium on Executions in Texas

2009-08-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

Produced by the Texas Moratorium Network, this 2002 documentary provides a careful examination of the death penalty process in Texas and examines the questions: Do defendants receive effective counsel? What role has police and prosecutorial misconduct played in capital murder cases? Does it make sense to execute people with mental disabilities or juvenile offenders?

"Balancing the Scales" includes commentary and interviews with exonerated death row prisoners, the mother of a murder victim, a professor of criminal justice, a former judge and district attorney, a Texas state representative and parents of prisoners executed by the state of Texas. 1 hr. Download here.

350- The Most Important Number in the World

2009-08-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

Bill McKibbin speaks at MIT about 350.org, an international campaign to build movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis.
Our mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.
Our focus is on the number 350 (as in parts per million), the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. But 350 is more than a number--it's a symbol of where we need to head as a planet. To tackle climate change we must act quickly, and in unison— 2009 will be an absolutely crucial year. This December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to craft a new global treaty on cutting emissions. The problem is, the treaty currently on the table doesn't pass the 350 test.
In order to unite the public, media, and our political leaders behind the 350 goal, we're harnessing the power of the internet to coordinate a planetary day of action on October 24, 2009. We hope to have actions at hundreds of iconic places around the world - from the Taj Mahal to the Great Barrier Reef to your community - and clear message to world leaders. If an international grassroots movement holds our leaders accountable to the latest climate science, we can start the global transformation we so desperately need. 84 min. See in full screen here.

P.S. Here is the video that Bill Could not run During his talk.

Rethink Afghanistan

2009-08-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Robert Greenwald's ground-breaking documentary focusing on the key issues surrounding this war. A work in progress, it is being posted in parts, to stay on top of news of the war as it continues to unfold. the goal is to raise critical questions, inform the public and challenge policymakers. 1 hr. Learn more here.

War Made Easy

2009-08-21T05:14:00.000-07:00

War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations. 70 min. Source page here.

Plan Colombia-Cashing In on the Drug War Failure

2009-08-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

For decades the "war on drugs" has cost the U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars. Yet every year, more drugs and narco-dollars pour into the U.S. This film exposed the fraud of the Colombian drug war as a smokescreen to control South American politics and resources. 56 mins. source page here.

Reel Bad Arabs, How Hollywood Vilifies a People

2009-08-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

This film takes a look at the history of image of Arabs in Hollywood films. Author Jack Shaheen makes a compelling case that Hollywood projects Arab stereotypes that would be considered totally unacceptable for any other ethnic group. This reflects a racism with deep political and cultural roots. 50 mins. Source page here.

The Secret Heartbeat of America

2009-08-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Daniel Hopsicker of Mad Cow Productions takes you on a tour of the hidden world of drug trade, covert CIA operations and high finance swindles that forms the undercurrent of modern history. This is the companion piece to "In Search of American Drug Lords". 106 min. source page here.

The Battle of Algiers

2009-08-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

This classic film presents an amazingly realistic story (no documentary footage was used) of the Algerian rebellion against the French colonialists in the 1950's. It is a story that continues to this very day. 2 hrs. Source page here.

PERMACULTURE TRIO: Forest Gardening, Edible Landscaping, Urban Permaculture

2009-08-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is three short documentaries: 1) Robert Hart's Forest Garden- find out what forest gardening is, and how to make your own! 2) Edible Landscapes- an amazing study about Rural Permaculture in Britain, showcasing edible plants, aquaculture, flowers, and medicinal plants. 3) Urban Permaculture- techniques used effectively in an urban back garden. 48 mins. download here.

The Great American Bubble Machine - The Planned Implosion

2009-08-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

I usually don't post short videos, but this is important, and I haven't found a longer one yet...
In Rolling Stone Matt Taibbi takes on "the Wall Street Bubble Mafia". Investment bank Goldman Sachs has engineered every major market manipulation since the Great Depression. "Goldman has its alumni pushing its views from the U.S. Treasury, the NYSE, the World Bank, and numerous other important posts; it has former players fronting major TV shows. They have the ear of the president if they want it." 10 min.

Incident at Oglala- The Leonard Peltier Story

2009-08-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

Because Leonard Peltier is currently up for parole, I am posting the 1992 film about the situation that led to his life sentence. The government sponsored terrorism at the Pine Ridge reservation remains shocking, even 40 years later. Another hidden chapter of American history. 89 mins. Source page here.

Waste = Food (the Cradle to Cradle design concept)

2009-08-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

German chemist, Michael Braungart, and American designer-architect William McDonough are fundamentally changing the way we produce and build. If waste would become food for the biosphere or the technosphere (all the technical products we make), production and consumption could become beneficial for the planet. A design and production concept that they call Cradle to Cradle. A concept that is seen as the next industrial revolution. • Design every product in such a way that at the end of its lifecycle the component materials become a new resource. • Design buildings in such a way that they produce energy and become a friend to the environment. Large companies like Ford and Nike are working with McDonough and Braungart to change their production facilities and their products. They realize that economically seen waste is destruction of capital. You make something with no value. An amazing story that will change your way of thinking about production and consumption. 50 min. Source page here.

Who Killed The Electric Car?

2009-08-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Are the solutions to our problems being withheld from us by corporations? This film tells the little known story of a perfect electric car that was developed, then suppressed and destroyed to protect the interests of big oil. Just ignore the dutch subtitles. 120 min. Download here.

The Yes Men

2009-08-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

With poker-faced impersonation as their weapon and World Trade Organization officials as their target, the Yes Men (Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno) pull off one bold prank after another in an effort to raise political consciousness. And when their outrageous stunts are actually swallowed- hook, line and sinker- the Yes Men must up the satirical ante and push the art of public spectacle to hilarious new heights! Click on the "CC" button to remove the Czech subtitles. 82 min. Source page here.

Michael Moore's SICKO

2009-08-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

With health care reform in the news, I thought it would be a good idea to post this film, for those who haven't seen it yet. It still is one of the only media projects that actually shows what the reality of health care is like in other countries and compares that to our own "system". 2 hrs. Source page here.

McLibel - Two People Who Wouldnt Say Sorry

2009-08-07T07:03:00.000-07:00

Two activists take on McDonald's in the longest trial in English history. McLibel is the inside story of how a single father and a part-time bar worker took on the McDonald's Corporation. Filmed over three years, the documentary follows Helen Steel and Dave Morris as they are transformed from anonymous campaigners against the fast food giant into unlikely global heroes. Struggling to defend themselves in the longest trial in English history, the pair face infiltration by spies, secret meetings with corporate executives, 40,000 pages of background reading and a visit from Ronald McDonald. Using interviews with witnesses and reconstructions of key moments in court, the film examines the main issues of the trial - nutrition, animals, advertising, employment, the environment - and the implications for freedom of speech. 80 min. Download here.

Hearts and Minds

2009-08-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

This Oscar winning documentary is essential viewing if you want to escape history.
From IMDB: "This film recounts the history and attitudes of the opposing sides of the Vietnam War using archival news footage as well as their own film and interviews. A key theme is how attitudes of American racism and self-righteousness militarism helped create and prolong this bloody conflict. The film also endeaveors to give voice to the Vietnamese people themselves as to how the war has affected them and their reasons why they fight the United States and other western powers while showing the basic humanity of the people that US propaganda tried to dismiss. " 2 Hrs. Download here.

Taken for a Ride

2009-08-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

Taken for a Ride documents the efforts to derail mass transit in America. Using historical footage and investigative research, this film tells how GM and Standard Oil conspired to buy up and destroy streetcar systems across the U.S. GM was convicted of this criminal conspiracy in court and given a token fine. Suburban sprawl, jammed freeways and smog became the norm for every city, so GM could sell more cars. 1 hr.

The Take- Occupy, Resist, Produce

2009-08-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

This film looks at the aftermath of the economic collapse of Argentina in 2004. It may well be a look into our immediate future in the U.S. This is the inspiring story of unemployed workers occupying and restarting the shut down factories, then fighting to keep them out of the hands of the bosses who ran them to ruin. Filmmakers Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein champion a radical economic manifesto for the 21st century. But what shines through in the film is the simple drama of workers' lives and their struggle: the demand for dignity. 85 min. download here.

William Pepper - An Act of State: The Execution of MLK

2009-08-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

Pepper, a journalist-turned-lawyer, whose work was instrumental in moving King to speak out against the Viet Nam war, exposed the assassination of MLK as an extra-legal execution. This act of state was carried out by the FBI, the CIA, the U.S. military, the Memphis police, and organized crime leaders. With his collected evidence, Pepper won a wrongful death suit against Loyd Jowers and "unknown co-conspirators" in 1999. He explains why King's criticism of the Vietnam War and his anti-poverty campaign was seen as serious threat by government and corporate leaders. 2.hrs, 17 min. Download here.

Darwin's Nightmare

2009-07-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is the best film I have seen about Africa, truly an modern-day "Heart of Darkness".
In the 1960's, in the heart of Africa, a new animal was introduced into Lake Victoria as a little scientific experiment. The Nile Perch, a voracious predator, extinguished almost the entire stock of the native fish species. However, the new fish multiplied so fast, that its white fillets are today exported all around the world. Cargo planes come daily to collect the latest catch in exchange for their southbound cargo… rifles for the uncounted wars in the dark center of the continent. This booming multinational industry of fish and weapons has created an ungodly globalized alliance on the shores of the world’s biggest tropical lake: an army of local fishermen, World bank agents, homeless children, African ministers, EU-commissioners, Tanzanian prostitutes and Russian pilots. Download here.

Biomimicry: Sustainable Design from Nature

2009-07-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

In this inspiring talk about recent developments in biomimicry, Janine Benyus provides heartening examples of ways in which nature is already influencing the products and systems we build. Instead of bioengineering and the industrial method of "heat, beat & treat", the future of technology has been developed by billions of experts over billions of years of R&D. 23 mins. download here.

Big Bucks Big Pharma

2009-07-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

What you should know about the health care racket in America.
Big Bucks, Big Pharma pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry to expose the insidious ways that illness is used, manipulated, and in some instances created, for capital gain. Focusing on the industry's marketing practices, in which Direct-To-Consumer pharmaceutical advertising glamorizes and normalizes the use of prescription medication, and works in tandem with promotion to doctors. This film challenges us to ask about the consequences of relying on a for-profit industry for our health and well-being. 1 hr. Download here.

Toxic Sludge Is Good For You- The Public Relations Industry Unspun

2009-07-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

This video examines the way in which the management of "the public mind" has become central to how our democracy is controlled by political and economic elites. Much of what we think of as independent, unbiased news and information has its origins in the boardrooms of the public relations companies.
The video analyzes the tools public relations professionals use to shift our perceptions including a look at the coordinated PR campaign to slip genetically engineered produce past public scrutiny. 44 mins. Download here.

1984 (early TV production)

2009-07-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

BBC Television's live production of George Orwell's "1984". Produced in 1954. Starring Peter Cushing and featuring Donald Pleasence. How close is Orwell's warning to our reality today. Is Guantanamo the "Ministry of Love", the endless phoney wars, even the "pornomatic". 107 min. Download here.

Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins

2009-07-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

The coup in Honduras was carried out by officers trained at the infamous "School of the Americas". This is the story of activist priest Father Roy Bourgeois campaigns to close this school. Download here.

Burma - Land of Fear

2009-06-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

This 1996 film provides good historical background and for the new film BURMA VJ. It also underscores the role of the U.S. and Europe in the continued repression of Burma.
John Pilger and David Munro go undercover in one of the world's most isolated, and extraordinary countries, Burma, 'a prison without bars'. They discover slave labor preparing for tourism and foreign investment. 51 min. Download here.

Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers (2006)

2009-06-21T14:48:00.000-07:00

Acclaimed director Robert Greenwald (Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, Outfoxed and Uncovered) takes you inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. Iraq for Sale uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so.
Download here.

In Search of the American Drug Lords - The CIA and The Mob

2009-06-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

Could the assassinations and scandals that rocked America in the '60's and '70's have been perpetrated by the same people who caused the cocaine epidemic that swept this nation during the 1980's? Find out in Daniel Hopsicker's three year investigation into the life and times of Barry Seal, one of the most famous CIA agents and also the most successful drug smuggler in American history. Download here.

In Debt We Trust

2009-06-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

IN DEBT WE TRUST is the latest film from Danny Schechter. The Emmy-winning former ABC News and CNN producer's new hard-hitting documentary investigates why so many Americans are being strangled by debt. It is a journalistic confrontation with "Financialization"--the "powerful emergence of a debt-and-credit industrial complex." While many Americans are "maxing out" on credit cards, there is a deeper story: power is shifting into fewer hands.....with frightening consequences. IN DEBT WE TRUST shows how the mall replaced the factory as America's dominant economic engine and how big banks and credit card companies buy our Congress and drive us into modern serfdom. Americans and our government owe trillions in consumer debt and the national debt, a large amount of it to big banks and billions to Communist China

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil

2009-05-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba was faced with a crisis. The loss of their main source of oil sent Cuba's economy into free-fall. What followed has come to be known as the Special period, when Cuba underwent one of the most remarkable social transformations in modern history. This film examines this transformation into a low-energy society, and provides a comprehensive view of the changes Cuba has developed in transportation, agriculture, architecture, and alternative energy sources. The Power of Community shows us a creative response to a crisis that may soon confront the rest of the world.

Download here.

Sir! No Sir!

2009-05-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

Very few know about the anti-war movement that took place within the U.S. armed forces.
In barracks, in army stockades and in the small towns surrounding military bases, soldiers organized in resistance to the war. From the publication of underground newspapers and demonstrations on military bases to widespread desertion, entire units refusing to go into battle, the military was brought to the brink of widespread mutiny.
"Sir, No Sir" tells the history of the GI movement through the stories of those who were part of it and with never-before-seen archival material and explores the impact it had on the military and the war itself. The film also tells the story of how and why the GI Movement has been erased from the public memory.

THE PLOT TO OVERTHROW FDR

2009-05-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt won the Presidency in 1932, many Americans looked to his bold New Deal plans as the way out of the dark days of the Depression. But a powerful group of financiers and industrialists saw his economic policies as a threat.
THE PLOT TO OVERTHROW FDR reveals how, inspired by political trends in Germany and Italy, this group conceived of a plan to either overthrow the newly-elected president or force him to take orders from them. They envisioned a paramilitary organization of disgruntled WWI veterans as the force to intimidate the government. The man they chose to inspire and lead this veteran's army was retired Marine General Smedley D. Butler, a colorful and outspoken champion of veteran's rights. But Butler was their undoing. After discovering the details of the conspiracy, the horrified general blew the whistle and subjected the outrageous plot to the scrutiny of a Congressional investigation.

The Corporation

2009-05-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

The best film on the malignant nature of the corporate structure. If we are to find a way out of the economic crisis, we must build new structures that can respond to social needs.

Bogotá : Building A Sustainable City

2009-04-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

A look at how the mayor of Bogota, Columbia, fought strong opposition to create innovative alternatives to cars and freeways. By creating dedicated space for mass transit, bikes and pedestrians, the city has become revitalized. Another example from Latin America leading the way for solving urban problems.

White King, Red Rubber, Black Death

2009-04-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

This film tells a story forgotten by white history. In the late 19th century, King Leopold of Belgium laid claim to the Congo and established a genocidal regime of industrial exploitation rarely matched in human history. For decades the Congo was plundered for rubber minerals and ivory and natives were routinely enslaved, massacred and mutilated.
Making a case like a trial of King Leopold for crimes against humanity, the film rescues from obscurity a history that continues to affect events today. The most poignant symbol of this is an African historian's visit to a shop in Brussels, where he buys little chocolate hands, a tradition rooted in the policy of soldiers cutting off the hands of native they shot to account for every bullet fired.

The End of Suburbia

2009-03-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Oil Depletion and The Collapse of The American Dream
With oil becoming scarce, American lifestyle will become at a stand still. This provides some options concerning peak oil and its implications for the suburban lifestyle. The film is hosted by Canadian broadcaster Barrie Zwicker and features discussions with James Howard Kunstler, Peter Calthorpe, Michael Klare, Richard Heinberg, Matthew Simmons, Michael C. Ruppert, Julian Darley, Colin Campbell, Kenneth Deffeyes, Ali Samsam Bakhtiari and Steve Andrews. The director is Gregory Greene and the producer is Barry Silverthorn. In 2007 Greene released a sequel called Escape from Suburbia.

Catherine Austin Fitts speaks at the IRTA 08 Barter convention

2008-12-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

Catherine Austin Fitts is a former Wall St. consultant and Asst. Sec. of HUD under G.H.W. Bush. She presents a unique insiders view of the scale and depth of corrupton of the U.S. financial system. She sees the current financial crisis as the largest transfer of assets in world history: the systematic draining of value from the entire U.S. economy. Her recommndation for our future survival is to create a new form of "financial permaculture" focused on self sustaining communities and local life support. 84 min. Download here.

Tim Wise on White Privilege

2008-12-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

What does it mean to be white in America? Tim Wise author of "White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son", Wise speaks about how white privlege is often invisible to those who benefit from it. From historic segragation to modern social "norms" we are all a product of a system of privilege that is often ignored, even by liberals. He describes how racial privilege operates in a class system, so that poor whites still have an advantage over poor people of color, and how passive language allows us to think of privilege as a condition that occurs without intent. He concludes by describing how white privilege is destructive of white people by instiling a sense of entitlement that stunts the ability to cope with adversity and leads to various pathologies of control. 1 hr.

Coverup - behind the iran-contra affair

2008-11-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

This film exposes one of the most disturbing chapters in U.S. history. It presents a tale of a shadow government that ran a secret foreign policy involving drugs, hostages, weapons, assassinations, terrorism, secret war, and the ultimate plan to suspend the U.S. Constitution. It is the only film which presents a comprehensive overview of the stories suppressed during the Iran Contra hearings and puts the entire affair into a meaningful political and historical context. Because many of the key players have resurfaced in the current Bush administration, this film is vital to understand what is going on behind the scenes today. Released in 1988, this film is not available on DVD. 72 min. download here.

The 11th Hour

2008-11-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

Narrated & produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, this captivating documentary explores the perilous state of our planet, and the means by which we can change our course. Noted politicians, scientists and activists address the importance of universal ecological consciousness.
A very well made introduction the unified issue of human survival. 89 min. download here.

Parrots the Universe and Everything

2008-11-13T12:57:00.000-08:00

Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, shares hilarious accounts of some of the apparently absurd lifestyles of the world's creatures, and gleans from them extraordinary perceptions about the future of humanity. Download. 88 min.

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan

2008-10-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

Winter Soldier featured testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what has been really happening day in and day out, on the ground. The four-day event brought together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan - and presented video and photographic evidence. In addition, there were panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists to give context to the testimony. These panels covered everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans' health benefits and support.
This historic event was ignored by the mainstream media. The extensive video coverage provided by the Free Speech TV network is too long to embed on this blog, so ma providing links to the Blip TV pages that host the videos.

The Legacy of GI Resistance: Organizing GIs and veterans to tell their stories and to take a stand against war. Part 1 2 3

The Rules of Engagement: Testimony on the confusing, irrational or fraudulent rules of conduct in a military occupation. Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The Crisis in Veterans’ Healthcare: Part 1 2 3

Civilian Testimony: A film of civilian testimony from Iraq and Afghanistan. Part 1 2

The Cost of the War at Home: How the war takes a toll in lost revenue for social programs and lost civil liberties. Part 1 2 3

Racism and War: Dehumanization of the Enemy. This panel covered mishandling and mutilation of the dead, and the torture, abuse and derogatory treatment of civilians. Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Breakdown of the Military: How the current wars are weakening the military and making the country less secure. Part 1 2 3 4 5

Divide to Conquer: Gender and Sexuality in the Military. Sexual discrimination, harassment and assault are commonplace in the military. Part 1 2

Corporate Pillaging and Military Contractors: Accounts of waste, fraud, corruption and other criminal actions committed by military contractors. Part 1 2

The Future of GI Resistance

The Aims of the Global War on Terror: What are the geopolitical considerations driving US policy. Part 1 2

Poison Fire: Gas and Oil Abuse in Nigeria

2008-10-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

The Niger Delta is an environmental disaster zone after fifty years of oil exploitation. One and a half million tons of crude oil has been spilled into the creeks, farms and forests, the equivalent to 50 Exxon Valdez disasters, one per year. Natural gas contained in the crude oil is not being collected, but burnt off in gas flares, burning day and night for decades. The flaring produces as much greenhouse gases as 18 million cars and emits toxic and carcinogenic substances in the midst of densely populated areas. Corruption is rampant, and people are dying, but the oil keeps flowing.

A team of local activists gather “video testimonies” from communities on the impact of oils spills and gas flaring. We see creeks full of crude oil, devastated mangrove forests and wellheads that have been leaking gas and oil for months. We meet people whose survival is acutely threatened by the loss of farmland, fishing and drinking water and the health hazards of gas flaring.

In a surprise victory, the Nigerian court ordered Shell to cease gas flaring. But Shell ignored the ruling. The oil companies continue the illegal gas flaring. Shell’s CEO gives lip service about social development, cleanup and compensation, as he passes the buck to the Nigerian government. Meanwhile, the oil keeps flowing, and the gas is still flaring.
For more info go to Poisonfire.org. 29 min.

Greg Palast: The Theft of the 2008 Election

2008-10-13T07:14:00.001-07:00

Palast’s latest report on the ongoing efforts to rig the 2008 election. Broadcast on BBC Newsnight, this story is still a non-issue for U.S. media, except for FOX network’s plugging of the Repub cover story to justify purging the voter rolls. Are we being set up for another “surprise” Repub victory? Will the Dems again rush to concede defeat, content with their status as the permanent minority “opposition”? 15 min.

Stephen Spoonamore: On Stealing Elections through Vote Tampering

2008-10-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Spoonamore is a leading computer security expert and life-long Republican who speaks out about the massive evidence that electronic voting machine manufacturers have conspired with the Republican Party to rig election since at least 2000, and plan to do so again this year. He openly challenges the assumption that we actually live in a democracy, and makes the case that openly hand-counted paper ballots are that most reliable way to insure a fair counting of the votes. For more information go to velvet revolution. 27 min. Download here.

The Hour of Furnaces (Hora de los Hornos)

2008-10-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

This is a truly “underground” film. Filmed secretly in Argentina in the 1960’s by Grupo Cine Liberation (director: Fernando Solanas), the filmmakers risked prison to produce a revolutionary manifesto. This rarely seen film details the history and methodology of the system of colonial exploitation that has dominated Latin America for 500 years. Today, Latin America leads the struggle against neo-colonial globalization, due in large part, to the revolutionary tradition embodied in this film. Note: unfortunately, the English subtitles in the embedded video cannot be downloaded with this film. 85 min.

Market Meltdown: The Bailout, the Economics of Inequality and the Election

2008-10-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

With all the nonsense being spouted by politicians and TV news shills about the bailout, I thought this was a rare example of a clear and reasonable examination of the current financial crisis.

Presented by the Institute for Policy Studies Sept. 30, 2008. Featuring:

Barbara Ehrenreich, author of "Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream" and "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America";

Dean Baker, author of "The Conservative Nanny State: How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer"; and

Jared Bernstein, author of "Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries)" and "All Together Now: Common Sense for a Fair Economy".

A discussion of economic inequality, market instability and the 2008 presidential race. With the meltdown on Wall Street, will the growing polarization of wealth and income become part of the election debate? The last time nequality was this extreme was 1928, on the eve of the Great Depression. What are ways that inequality contributes to economic instability? What practical political program to reverse these inequalities can expect from the Presidential candidates? 51 min.

Big Sugar- Sweet Slavery

2008-10-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

Big Sugar explores the dark history and modern power of the sugar industry. It reveals how sugar was at the heart of slavery in the West Indies in the 18th century, while showing how present-day consumers are slaves to a sugar-based diet. Even today, sugar cane cutters live like slaves, in appalling conditions on plantations.
Sugar was the oil industry of the 18th century, when vast fortunes were made. Even the Church of England was a slave holder. The British oppositon to slavery becam the first modern political activist movment and Big Sugar responded with the first modern public relations campagin. Today, agressive marketing and lax nutritional standards have given rise to a global epidemic of obesity and diabeties, particularly in children and the poor. Do you think any U.S. network would dare to risk the wrath of sugar advertizers by showing this CBC News (Canada) program?
Part 1 download here.

Part 2 download here.

Michael Parenti - The Struggle for History

2008-09-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

This excellent lecture by political scientist, historian, and media critic Michael Parenti explains the study of history as a political act. He examines how the manufacturing and marketing of history to indoctrinate, rather than educate, is the result of a systematic control of history by ruling elites. The classification and destruction of documents, the effects of racism, sexism and class interest, the dominance of ideological homogenization and background assumptions all have an impact on our perception of history. Parenti illuminates the truth of George Orwell's quote: "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."
85 min. Download.

Ron Paul Hosts Third Party Press Conference

2008-09-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

For those who are sick of the banalities and trivialities of the Obama/Mcain show. On Sept. 11 Ron Paul hosted a press conference for the "third party" candidates. Independent Ralph Nader, Green party candidate Cynthia McKinney & Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution party make statements. Libertarian candidate Bob Barr was not able to attend. All 4 candidates give unanimous support to a statement on 4 key issues: (1) ending the current wars, (2) restoring civil liberties, (3) Reform the Federal Reserve and reduce the federal debt and (4) stop bailouts of corporations. A remarkable consensus from the left and right. 66 min. View in fullscreen here.

The Arithmetic of Catastrophe

2008-09-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

Professor emeritus of Physics Dr. Albert A. Bartlett gives a lecture entitled "Arithmetic, Population, and Energy". Posted on YouTube as “The Most IMPORTANT Video You'll Ever See”, Dr. Bartlett makes the case that “The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.”
We all have a blind spot for the impacts represented by seemingly small annual growth rates, particularly with regard to energy consumption and population. A 7% growth rate means doubling every 10 years. We are now approaching the limits of growth on this planet, yet we still praise the benefits of growth. Highly recommended. 80 min.
Video source here.

Kill The Messenger- The Sibel Edmonds Story

2008-09-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is a MUST SEE! Former FBI translator and whistle blower Sibel Edmonds is the most judicially gagged person in US history. This French produced film tells as much of her story as we are allowed to know. It premiered in 2006, but has still not been made available in the U.S. The range of high level crime and cover up that she can reveal involves 9/11, the nuclear black market, drug trafficking, espionage, blackmail of public officials and much more. Download this film before it gets pulled again. For more info go to Just a Citizen, & Let Sibel Edmonds Speak. 52 min.

The E-waste Crisis

2008-08-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at one of the worst polluting industries in the world. Every day, mountains of old computers and other electronic junk is shipped to China, India and Africa, where they are broken down, burned and melted with acid to retrieve valuable metals, under the most primitive and toxic conditions. The air water and soil of these high tech wastelands will be poisonous for many generations. Although banned under international law, e-waste dumping thrives under the guise of "charitable donations" and "recycling". Demands that manufacturers design safer products have had little impact so far. The film "Afterlife made by Matthew Appleton and two segments produced by Greenpeace.23 min. Download part 1, part 2, part 3. Watch in fullscreen here.

Oceans of Plastic

2008-08-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

The plastic pollution of earth's oceans is an unrecognised environmental catastrophe. Captain Charles Moore, founder of Algalita Marine Research Foundation, talks about the plastic wasteland that converges in the North Pacific Central Gyre. He describes an ocean he had never known, "there were shampoo caps and soap bottles and plastic bags and fishing floats as far as I could see. Here I was in the middle of the ocean, and there was nowhere I could go to avoid the plastic." The immense amounts of plastic, that are a part of our daily lives, washes into the seas from far inland. This plastic does not degrade, but breaks down into tiny particles that are infesting the ocean food chain. Presented by Surfriders, surfers dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. 30 min. Download.

Secrets of the CIA

2008-08-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

This 2 hr program from Australian channel Sky 2 provides a concise history of the CIA's disastrous covert operations. Protecting Nazis; mind control; coups in Iran, Indonesia, Chile & Congo; wars in Laos, Angola, Nicaragua & Afghanistan; the Bay of Pigs; drug trafficking & torture. Ample proof that the "national security state" has always been the greatest threat to peace and democracy in the world. Who knows how much more remains secret? There are a few commercials to sit through.
Download here.

The World According to Monsanto

2008-08-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

The gigantic bio-tech corporation Monsanto creates Roundup Ready soybeans, BHT corn and other frankenfoods, GMO crops, terminator seeds, BGH milk, and other threats to agricultural biodiversity and public health. This documentary aired on French television. - Americans will never see it. 2 hrs.

Anthrax Attack- False Flag

2008-08-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

The FBI has been trying to sell a lone-nut-suicide story to a skeptical public, in a desperate attempt to close this case. Now is a good time to see this program produced by the History Channel. It recounts the FBI's record of blunders, foot dragging, slander and intimidation. While this program shies away from the possibility that this attack was initiated by our own government, it does address the cover-up of an illegal bio-weapons program. Perhaps this is why the Dems took impeachment off the table, the message was clear... "mess with us and sleep with the fishes". 45 min.

The Crimes of the Bush Junta

2008-08-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

Still unwilling to start impeachment hearings, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on "executive powers" to address the many high crimes of the Bush junta. Little notice of this event has been taken by the mainstram media. Here is the testimony of the panel members. 78 min. To see the entire hearing click here.

The War on Drugs (The Prison Industrial Complex)

2008-07-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

The first few minutes are in dutch, but the rest is in english. This Duch news program was made in 1999.
Today, nearly 500,000 Americans are imprisoned on drug charges. In 1980 the number was 50,000. Last year $40 billion were spent in fighting the war on drugs. As a result of the incarceration obsession, the United States operates the largest prison system on the planet. Offenders under age 18 imprisoned for drug offenses increased twelvefold from 1985 to 1997. The group most affected by this is African-Americans. From 1985 to 1997, the percentage of African-American young people put in prison increased from 53 to 62 percent. Today, 89 percent of police departments have paramilitary units. The most common use of paramilitary units is serving drug-related search warrants, which usually involve no-knock entries into private homes. 92 min. Download here.

The Mortage Loan Melt Down

2008-07-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

- 44 min - Feb 11, 2008
This Austrailian news program was recorded back in Sept. 2007 and it gives detailed picture of the Subprime Mortage crisis that the U.S. media is only just starting to wake up to now. This program begins to touch on the criminal nature of the subprime scandal. 44 min. Download here.

What Would Jesus Buy?

2008-07-26T20:40:00.001-07:00

A film about Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. Using the stylings of an evangelist preacher, Revered Billy goes on a nationwide tour to preach against the rampant consumerism of Christmas and the "shopocalypse"
Along the way he exorcises Wal-Mart, condemns Mickey mouse as the Antichrist, and stages a secret invasion of Disneyland on Christmas day. Ironically, this film is presented with several commercials.

Connecting a Laptop to a TV

2008-07-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

An entertaining video showing 3 ways to connect your laptop to your TV to watch videos.
They recommend using a digital TV only, but I think it will also work if you connect through your DVD/VCR player.

Cops Oppose Drug Laws

2008-07-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) Produced this promotional video: "End Prohibition Now"
"Anyone concerned about the failure of our $69 billion-a-year War on Drugs should watch this 12-minute program. You will meet front line, ranking police officers who give us a devastating report on why it cannot work. It is a must-see for any journalist or public official dealing with this issue."-- Walter Cronkite. 13 min. Download here.

Part 2 is an interview with LEAP member Jack Cole on Canadian TV, discussing his career and conversion to anti-prohibition activist. 30 min. For more information on this great group, go to their website.

2 Films About Fallujah

2008-07-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

Fallujah - The Hidden Massacre

A report by Sigfrido Ranucci for Italian Public TV (http://www.rainews24.it).
This report give the details on the destruction of an Iraqi city that was glossed over by the American media. The indiscriminant bombing of civilians, and the use of white phosphorus and other prohibited weapons are detailed. Be warned that this fim contains graphic images of the results of the bombing. 27 min. Download here.

Fallujah - Operation Phantom Fury

This is a collaborative production created by Iraqi and American filmmakers.
After a major US led offensive launch in November of 2004, two-thirds of the city was destroyed and thousands of its citizens were forced into refugee camps. Code Pink commissioned Iraqi filmmaker Homodi Hasim to send a team of videographers and investigative journalists to Fallujah to record the destruction and death inflicted by the American assault. He also interviewed Fallujah residents who were forced to live in refugee camps on the outskirts of Fallujah and Baghdad. Using the footage produced by Code Pink and additional footage of the US led destruction of Fallujah,
Deep Dish Television has produced this gripping documentary. The short piece, Fallujah, documents a trip through Iraq and the devastated community of Fallujah.
Produced by Deep Dish TV and CODEPINK. 29 min. Download here.

The People's Struggle in Oaxaca

2008-07-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Produced by the Mal De Ojo media collective to show
outlying and rural communities what was taking place in Oaxaca City. The mass media corporations constantly misrepresent the popular resistance movement in Oaxaca, often only showing images that only show the government's side of the story. These videos demonstrate the important role that independent, community media plays in countering the misinformation generated by the corrupt government and corporate media giants.
Films include: In the Bicentennial of Juarez: An overview of the popular uprising from June to November of 2006. About the struggle: Reflections on the reasons for popular movement in Oaxaca. Viguera: Federal police take revenge on a neighborhood that blocked their entrance to Oaxaca City. 25 min. Download part1, part2.

Part 2:
The Victory of All Saint's Day- Local people win a seven hour battle against
police attempting to clear barricades around the state university Bradley Will-
In Memorandum: The day of the dead memorial for the indymedia videographer who was killed by government gunmen. 25 min.

Fast Food World: The Global Food Chain

2008-07-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

A really good panel discussion about the political, social and biological impact of food production and consumption with journalism professor Michael Pollan, "Fast Food Nation" author Eric Schlosser, Wendel Berry, author of "The Unsettling of America", food activist Vandava Shiva and "Slow Food" founder Carlo Petrini. How have globalized corporate agribusiness and fast food affected us, and how are slow food and sustainable agriculture responding? 56 min. Download here.

The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism

2008-07-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Beginning with a short film that illustrates the concepts of her new book, Naomi Klein explodes the myth that the global free market triumphed democratically. Exposing the thinking, the money trail and the puppet strings behind the world-changing crises and wars of the last four decades, The Shock Doctrine is the gripping story of how America's "free market" policies have come to dominate the world-- through the exploitation of disaster-shocked people and countries. What has been done in other countries may happen in the U.S. next. Katrina was the test run. Be on the alert for the next great disaster to be used for the violent imposition of their agenda. Klein sites four examples from recent history: Chile after the coup by Pinochet, Thacher's privatization of Great Britain during the Falklands war, China after the Tienanmen square massacre, and Boris Yeltsin's attack on the Russian parliament. Klein urges us to become "shock resistant". Download Intro - Part1 - Part2 - Part3 - Part4 - Part5 - Part6.

Blood Coltan

2008-07-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is a story about the real costs of our need to stay in touch. Mobile phones have hidden tariffs with unimaginable human consequences: rape, murder and illegal slave labor. This program from Britain, The Dossier, makes an in depth study of how global demand for the rare mineral coltan, a vital ingredient in the manufacturing of cell phones, is directly responsible for the suffering in the eastern Congo. The problem has been well know for years, yet no effective action is taken by governments or corporations. There can be no doubt that post colonial Africa has been intentionally kept in turmoil to steal and exploit its vast natural resources. As one activist says, "there is blood in your cell phone". What American TV network would risk the displeasure of its advertisers by airing this program? 50 min. Download here.

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

2008-06-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is the shocking memoir of John Perkins. In this video he explains how U.S. corporate interests maintain a world-wide empire without armys of occupation. He tells of his journey from willing servant of empire to impassioned advocate for the rights of oppressed people. Covertly recruited by the U.S. National Security Agency and on the payroll of an international consulting firm, he traveled throughout the 3rd world to promote U.S. corporate interests. While professing to alleviate poverty, these policies only served to burden these nations with massive debts and exploitation of their resources. When political leaders refused to go along with these plans, they were overthrown, assassinated or subject to invasion. Within a few weeks of its release, his book landed on The New York Times and 19 other bestseller lists. More about the book here. 45 min.

CIA Mystery Flights

2008-06-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

The BBC program This World pieces together the jigsaw of "extraordinary rendition", the illegal CIA transfer of terror suspects to secret prisons in Europe. In Eastern Poland in 2002 and 2003 strange planes landed on an old disused runway in a secluded forest. Nine times. Was Poland a staging point in the network of secret prisons established by the United States in their "extraordinary rendition" program? Did these mystery flights bring al-Qaeda suspects to Poland? Poland is not alone: the CIA flew their planes to 29 different countries and there were 300 CIA landings in Europe alone, 80 in Britain. European governments must know about these mystery flights. Little has been said about these secret prisons in the U.S. Media. This program shows the extent of lawlessness and brutality that hides under the cover of Bush's "war on terror". 1 hr, in 6 parts. Down load part1 - part2 - part3 - part4- part5 - part6 .

Downloading YouTube Videos on Firefox

2008-06-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

If you use Mozilla Firefox as your web browser, you can add many customized features that are available for free through a Firefax addon called Greasemonkey. Greasemonkey is a Mozilla Firefox extension that allows users to install scripts that make on-the-fly changes to most HTML-based web pages. As Greasemonkey scripts are persistent, the changes made to the web pages are executed every time the page is opened, making them effectively permanent for the user running the script. Greasemonkey can be used for adding new functionality to web pages. Well-written Greasemonkey scripts can integrate changes so well that their additions appear to be natural parts of the web page.

One of these scripts adds a video download button to any Youtube video page, so you can download the video as an mp4 file.

More info about Greasemonkey here.

Get Greasemonkey here.

Userscript to download videos from YouTube

Another script automatically selects the highest quality video setting.

The Price of Gasoline- The SuperEnron Swindle

2008-06-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

What determines the price of gasoline? Supply and demand? Exploration and production costs? Global instability? In this surprising interview- you will learn just how divorced oil prices are from these factors. Lawrence Velvel interviews Tyson Slocum, Acting Director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program. Slocum explains how speculation and manipulation in the unregulated oil futures market have driven the price of gas far beyond reasonable levels. Is this a much larger version of the market rigging games played by Enron? Brownouts and price spikes plagued California because of electricity trading swindles with names like “Deathstar” and “Fatboy”. We are all being robbed now, and we just meekly accept it. Is it any surprise that this is not reported in the news? This program was recorded in January of 2007, back when oil prices were a “mere’ $70 per barrel. Produced by The Massachusetts School of Law. 1 hr. Download here.

Abu Ghraib - Unseen

2008-06-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This video may not be suitable for minors. It is very shocking and disturbing, but it is of vital importance that this evidence be made available to the U.S. public. Especially since new testimony implicates the highest levels of the Bush administration in approving these atrocities as official U.S. policy.

This video shows photos of the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison at the hans of U.S. forces, that have never been seen in the U.S. media. These shocking pictures have come to light revealing the extent of prisoner abuse - and it's much worse than anyone imaged. The photos depict new incidents of homicide, torture and sexual humiliation and indicate a broader pattern of abuse than was previously understood. "We now know there was systemic and widespread abuse", states ACLU lawyer Amrit Singh. She hopes the photos release will lead to a proper inquiry. By Journeyman Pictures, 13 min. Source page here.

Endgame: Bush & Cheney's desperate measures

2008-06-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Media critic Mark Crispin Miller give his take on how the Republican vote-theft machine will operate on the 2008 election. Miller’s latest book, “Fooled Again” is a study of how the 2004 election was stolen. The methods continued to be implemented and refined in 2006, and the groundwork has been laid out for 2008. 15 min. Download part1, part2.

The Plan to steal the 2008 Election - Greg Palast on Democracy Now!

2008-06-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

Are they going to steal the 2008 election? No, they’ve already stolen the 2008 election. Greg Palast interviews David Iglasias, one of the fired U.S. Attorneys, to discover that the firings were about influencing elections. The administration team couldn’t tolerate appointees who wouldn’t go along with the crime of suppressing the votes of African American students, homeless men, and soldiers. Note: there is an overlap of about 2 minutes between the 2nd and 3rd parts of this report. 30 min. Download part1, part2, part3. View fullscreen.

Hacking Democracy

2008-06-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

When touch-screen voting machines are installed in her community, Bev Harris decides to do some research. Harris discovers that black boxes aren't exactly fool-proof—-far from it. As technology experts attest, the code is vulnerable to manipulation. Worse yet, after-the-fact changes are undetectable. So, Harris forms a grass-roots organization and proceeds to dig deeper. They reveal a system riddled with inaccuracy, incompetent election officials, and electronic voting machines that can be programmed to steal elections. They take on voting machine manufacturer Diebold and go dumpster diving at a county election official's office, uncovering evidence of miscounted votes. Over the course of three years, they find several troubling instances of corporate malfeasance and computer malfunction, and her findings lead the State of California to file criminal charges against Diebold. 81 min. Download here.

COINTELPRO – The FBI's War On Black America

2008-06-20T08:48:00.001-07:00

This documentary looks at the secret Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO), initiated by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI, which aimed to neutralize black political figures and groups of the late 1960's and early 1970's. This was a systematic effort to prevent the mobilization of the African-American community into a strong political force. Combining declassified documents, interviews, rare footage and exhaustive research, this film investigates the government's role in the assassinations of Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, and Martin Luther King Jr. Were these murders the result of this program?
To download this video: click here to go to the source video page, and click on the line “Download video - iPod/PSP” to the left of the video window. Save the file and play in full screen mode. For tips on viewing this video on your TV, see our section on “A way to see web video on TV”. Let me know how it works for you.

Welcome to New Orleans

2008-06-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

A 58 minute documentary about the city of New Orleans during the first year after Katrina. This film depicts the violence and racism in the impoverished American South. This is a story about the bottom-side of United States--a society that has been left to fend for itself. But more importantly, this film is about hope, in the face of overwhelming adversity. “Welcome to New Orleans” depicts the ravaged city through the eyes of Malik Rahim, a 58-year-old Black Panther, who stayed during and after Hurricane Katrina, in order to help residents. He has become a local hero, as he has built up the grassroots organization, Common Ground Collective. Common Ground has served over 170,000 residents with the help of over 12,000 volunteers, from all 50 states and 40 countries. But there is still plenty of work to be done. To find out more information, or to make a donation, please visit their website, www.commongroundrelief.org.

Prisoners of Katrina

2008-06-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

This is the untold story of almost 7,000 inmates who found themselves trapped in the city jail as it flooded. The jail system in New Orleans was already in disarray before the storm. Hard core criminals and people arrested for minor crimes were abandoned as the system broke down and the water rose. This World, a BBC news program, presents eye-witness accounts of what really happened to those left behind.

Edward Said - The Myth of 'The Clash of Civilizations

2008-06-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

The late Prof. EDWARD SAID, was one of the most eloquent voices of dissent on behalf of Palestinians. He gives his analysis of the western intellectual concept of "The Clash of Civilizations", which maintains that conflict in the middle-east is the result of irreconcilable cultural differences. Said rips this thesis to shreds.

Mobilizing Media Reform

2008-06-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

This 14-minute video addresses the problems that plague our media system, examines their causes and effects, and suggests ways in which we as citizens can bring about change. Featuring interviews with policymakers, scholars, and activists involved in the fight for media reform, it's a rousing look at one of the most pressing issues of our time.

9-11 Blueprint for Truth: The Architecture of Destruction

2008-06-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

Commercial architect Richard Gage presents a watertight case for controlled demolition of the three steel-building collapses at the World Trade Centeron 9/11/01. Gage's group, Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, is rapidly drawing building and engineering professionals to the 9/11 Truth movement. Gage examines the issues of WTC Building #7, Symmetrical Free Fall Collapse, Squib Explosions, The Twin Towers' Structure, Molten Metal, and much more. To learn more, go to the Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth website . Download here.

9-11 Scientific and Ethical Questions

2008-06-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

Physics professor Steve Jones was one of the first qualified academics to apply his professional expertise to an independent and systematic critical review of the evidence of the events of 9/11. In this presentation he presents his findings, which provide strong evidence that the World Trade Center was brought down by controlled demolition. Jones went on to found Scholars for 9/11 Truth, which is dedicated to the study of all 9/11 evidence. You can find their work cataloged here. 107 min. Download here.

UNREPENTANT: KEVIN ANNETT AND CANADA'S GENOCIDE

2008-06-04T13:10:00.001-07:00

This documentary reveals Canada's darkest secret - the deliberate extermination of Native Americans and the theft of their land, under the guise of religion. This never before told history as seen through the eyes of this former minister (Kevin Annett) who blew the whistle on his own church, after he learned of thousands of murders in its Indian Residential Schools. This is the blood-chilling story of the campaign of kidnapping, sexual abuse and murder waged against the native peoples of western Canada that continued up until the 1970’s. Learn more at http://hiddenfromhistory.org/

Ludicrous Diversion – The 7/7 London Bombings

2008-06-04T12:52:00.001-07:00

On the 7th of July 2005 London was hit by a series of explosions. The police have chosen to withhold from the public almost every bit of evidence they claim to have, and have provably lied about several aspects of the bombings. The mainstream news has willfully spread false, unsubstantiated and unverifiable information, while choosing to completely ignore the numerous inconsistencies and discrepancies in the official story. When the government finally presented their official ‘narrative’ concerning the event, it was shown to contain numerous errors. They have continuously rejected calls for a full, independent public inquiry. Tony Blair described such an inquiry as a ‘ludicrous diversion’.

SANTA'S WORKSHOP - Inside China's Slave Labor Toy Factories

2008-06-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

This film takes you to the real world of China's toy factories. Workers tell us about long working hours, low wages, and dangerous work places. Those who protest or try to organize trade unions risk imprisonment. Low labor costs attract more and more companies to China. Today more than 75% of our toys are made in China. But this industry takes its toll on the workers and on the environment. The buyers blame bad conditions on the Chinese suppliers. But they say that increasingly hard competition gives them no option. Who should we believe? And what can you do to bring about a fairer and more humane toy trade? What TV network would upset its sponsors by airing this program? 32 min.

The Israel Lobby

2008-06-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Dutch news program Backlight presents (with English subtitles) a critical look at the influence of the Israel Lobby in American politics. A topic that is all but taboo on U.S. Television. It makes me wince to see so many supposedly knowledgeable speakers use the words “Israeli” and “Jewish” interchangeably. It is this blurring of these two concepts that make it so difficult to discuss the issue rationally.

The Globalization Tapes

2008-06-04T11:35:00.001-07:00

Shot by Indonesian workers using their own suppressed history as a case study, this film traces the development of contemporary globalization from its roots in colonialism. Through chilling first-hand accounts, hilarious improvised interventions, collective debate and archival collage, "The Globalization Tapes" exposes the devastating role of militarism and repression in building the "global economy", and explores the relationships between trade, third-world debt, and international institutions like the IMF and the World Trade Organization.
A grandfather demonstrates his favored technique of holding union activists upside down in flooded fields. Plantation workers stage a satirical commercial for the pesticide that poisons them. The filmmakers pose as World Bank agents with brutal and absurd offers to 'develop' local businesses.
The Globalization Tapes is a testament to the intelligence, humor, integrity and creativity of its makers and their community.
"If we are united in our struggle against worker oppression, united in our search for truth amidst lies, united for a truly participatory democratic economic system, the possibilities are only limited by our courage, our determination, and our capacity to imagine." - Su Karman, narrator and President of the Independent Plantation Workers' Union of Sumatra.

The Century Of The Self

2008-06-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

This series by Adam Curtis is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try to control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy.

Part 1 - The Happiness Machines
The story of Sigmund Freud’s nephew, Edward Bernays, who invented the public relations profession in the 1920s, and used Freud's ideas to manipulate the masses. He showed American corporations how they could make people want things by systematically linking goods to their unconscious desires. Bernays was one of the main architects of the modern techniques of mass-consumer persuasion, from celebrity endorsement and outrageous PR stunts, to eroticizing the motorcar. His most notorious coup was persuading women that cigarettes were a symbol of independence and freedom. But Bernays was convinced that this was also a new method of political control, by triggering the inner irrational desires that his uncle had identified.

Part 2 – The Engineering of Consent
With the massive amount of soldiers suffering mental problems during WWII, the government and military becomes interested in psychoanalysis.

Part 3 - There is a Policeman in my Head
The self-expression and self-awareness methods of psychotherapy that were popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s are examined. Advertising companies learned how to sell products to people as a way to express their individuality and personality.

Part 4 - Eight People Sipping Wine
Modern day politicians looking to liberate their people from the confines of modern democracy end up enslaving them by using the same techniques used by business to market and supply products to interpreted public desires.

Loose Change Final Cut

2008-06-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

One of the most widely seen films of the 9/11 Truth Movement, Loose Change is considered to be the first internet blockbuster. Revised through several versions, this film has probably exposed more people to the issues of 9/11 than any other. You can support Loose Change and buy the official version here. 129 min. Download here.